H O W T O H I R E A R E A LT O RC R E A T E D B Y S C O T U L M E R

• It’s important to note that buying a home is a process and there are many steps that you have to take if you want to be as efficient as possible and find the right home for you.

• Finding a realtor will help make this process easier on you and your family (if you have one).

• Realtors who work best with your interests in mind will can help find your next home, but finding the right realtor is also a process.

• Here are a few ways you should go about hiring a realtor…

• First, check their references.

• It’s always a good idea to have a realtor that somebody you know personally recommended.

• But, even if the agent was personally recommended, the best way to approach any type of hiring situation is to interview the person

• According to an article published by The Real Estate Network, “Realtors are going to bolster all of their successful stories upon meeting you, but how accurate are those claims? Chat with their co-workers, and ask to speak with their last five clients,” (6 Tips for Hiring a Realtor).

• Once you have a better idea about who the agent is that you will potentially be working with, you’re one step closer to hiring.

• Next, you should ask the agent for a CMA (comparative market analysis) before you even begin looking at the house market.

• This way, you’ll know if the realtor is trying to sell you homes that are fairly priced.

• After you ask the agent for a CMA, check the information that he or she gives you on an authoritative real estate website like Zillow, which will also have the statistics.

• Another way to decide on a real estate agent is deciphering how well he or she knows the area you’re searching in.

• According to The Real Estate Network:

• “Discovering if being a real estate agent is this person’s only job, and finding out how well they know your target area is very important. If they’re a full time realtor, they’re less likely to be distracted and let you slip through the cracks. Also ask how many sales they’ve done in this specific area, and try to get the details of those scenarios,” (6 Tips for Hiring a Realtor).

• In any real estate endeavor, as you probably have heard by now, location is the most important factor.

• If you’re working with somebody who doesn’t know the area too well, you may want to rethink about hiring a new realtor.

• Always ask questions like, “What’s the best restaurant?” or “What are some activities the locals do here on weekends?” to get a better sense of what the neighborhood is like.

• In conclusion, finding a realtor is not as easy as you may think.

• It is a process that takes time and effort, but it will all be worth it in the end.

• Having a great agent makes the home-buying process much easier in the long-run.